Synthesis of Rhodium Complexes with Chiral Diene Ligands via Diastereoselective Coordination and Their Application in the Asymmetric Insertion of Diazo Compounds into E-H Bonds.

A new method for the synthesis of chiral diene rhodium catalysts is introduced. The readily available racemic tetrafluorobenzobarrelene complexes [(R₂‐TFB)RhCl]₂ were separated into two enantiomers via selective coordination of one of them with the auxiliary S‐salicyl‐oxazoline ligand. One of the resulting chiral complexes with an exceptionally bulky diene ligand [(R,R‐iPr₂‐TFB)RhCl]₂ was an efficient catalyst for the asymmetric insertion of diazoesters into B−H and Si−H bonds giving the functionalized organoboranes and silanes with high yields (79–97 %) and enantiomeric purity (87–98 % ee). The stereoselectivity of separation via auxiliary ligand and that of the catalytic reaction was predicted by DFT calculations.